Valle Grande

Our Cabin for the night
The grounds and the canyons behind the cabin
Isabella in the hills
The view from the dam Embalse Valle Grande

We had a quick get-away last weekend to Valle Grande in San Rafael, Mendoza. We had warm Spring weather, and found a totally funky (good funky) place to stay. The kids enjoyed/ endured a 5 hour hike that had all the great elements: bushwacking, scrambling, cross-country without a trail and finally a horse trail to bring us back. It is gorgeous canyon country with a river and several dams/lakes. Plenty of things to do...can't wait to go back.

This weekend we have another big event which is Isabella's Birthday Bash. With a true Argentine schedule of 9 PM- 1AM we hope it is a blast for Izzi and all of her friends!

September Birthdays

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BRAVE, AMAZING CHILDREN!

DANIEL TURNS 11 ON SEPTEMBER 15TH

ISABELLA TURNS 13 ON SEPTEMBER 22ND

YOU ARE SMART, FUNNY, AND I FEEL SO LUCKY TO BE YOUR MOM!

Hey Friends!

It has been such a long time since I have contributed to the blog, that I thought I would give it another go - SO.....

As we head into the spring season here in Argentina there are so many things that we look forward to! We have now been in Argentina 8 months and still so much to see, so this weekend we take another road trip to Merlo and Cordoba to see what this region has to offer. The kids seem to have a holiday from school every other week (was it like this in the states?) so we are taking advantage of Dia Del Maestro and hitting the road.....

The day-to-day life here seemed so strange in the beginning and it is a little sad now that all of those strange things are normal now. The guinea pigs that run around wild in our back yard, the horse-drawn carts on the major roads, the amazing bread we buy out of the back of a broken-down old car at the round-a-bout..... It is so great when someone new comes to town with the fresh perspective so we can be reminded how funny or unique some of these things are. When the family of five rides by on the scooter, I try to remind myself that this is a special thing here, and when I return, I won't (hopefully) see this in the United States....

We love to laugh about the somewhat odd (to us) habits here but I have grown to appreciate them as well. The ten minute conversation we are obligated to have with the egg woman before she will hand over our purchase is no longer the strain that it used to be, our beloved Mirta (who helps us with the house chores) insisting on ironing Randy's underwear, and the restaurants never opening before 10:00pm....well - that one is a little hard still.

We are also looking forward to a visit from two of the kids' previous teachers (who are both now Principals), who will be arriving in October, heavily laden with a few luxuries we have been living without. There are so many things to be grateful for in the States. One major one - U.S. Postal service, another one - Ziplocs (Thank you Lisa, for my lifetime supply). Count your blessings.....

Hopefully this latest blog finds you happy and healthy, and possibly considering a big adventure in South America, or even better - in Argentina. Just let us know!

Besos y abrazos a todos!

Karren

Hot and Cold in Chacras

It has been a crazy week in Chacras (our little town). The temperature was in the mid 80's on Monday with the dreaded hot wind from the Andes called "El Zonda" and snow falling from the sky on Thursday. Here are a couple of pictures. One is Daniel up in Vallecitos (an old ski area) and the second is one of our fruit trees in full bloom with the snow falling all around.

Update!(Izzy)

So, I don't know how many of you know Smilé, our Rent-a-Dog, but I am just going to have to tell you all again because we finally got her to sit still for pictures.
Smilé (pronounced SMEE-lay,) was originally the pet of the neighbors two doors down. When she started hanging out at our house, she was very shy. But mom won her over with love (and steak) and she eventually became attached to us. Now she is here 23/7, spending about an hour a day at her own house. Every once and a while we run into her owners and they want her back, but then she comes back through the irrigation ditch. I guess we're stuck with her. Here are some pictures:


She's a Cocker Spaniel.Oh, so cute. We love her. I just hope her owners don't mind...

I love you all,
Izzy